gts Flashcards
is a record that depicts Earth’s history and at the same time the order of life from 4.6 billion years ago to the present
geologic time scale
is known as a radioactive isotope of carbon, and can be used to date events on the process known as radiocarbon dating.
carbon-14 (dating)
the half-life of carbon-14
5,730 years
is a basic unit of geological time during which a specific kind of rock system is produced
period
when “periods” are compacted together according to their characteristics, marked by major changes in the fossil record
era
shortest subdivision; marked by differences in life forms and can vary from continent to continent
epoch
when “eras” are grouped together, this will create the longest geologic subdivision marked by differences in life forms and can vary from continent to continent
eon
GTS subdivision according from longest to shortest
eon, era, period, epoch
more than 85% of earth’s history falls uner this supereon, from 4.6 billion years ago to 540 million years ago
precambrian eon
eon when the solidification of the earth’s continental and oceanic crust occurred
hadean eon (4.6-4 billion years ago)
this eon is when the first evolution of earth’s first life forms begun
archean eon (4-2.5billion years ago)
this eon when the appearance of multi-celled animals and the gathering of land masses to form continents
proterozoic eon (2.5-541million years ago)
eras involved in the phanerozoic eon
paleozoic, mesozoic, cenozoic eras
the most recent era during the phanerozoic era and marks the age of mammals and the first human evolution
cenozoic era (66million years ago-now)
this era marks the beginning of dinosaurs, mammals, birds, and plants due to mass extinctions
mesozoic era (252million years ago)
this era where the explosion of diverse marine life and the largest mass extinction of marine organisms
paleozoic era (541million years ago)
period where marine life flourished, major groups of invertebrates appeared (trilobites), protective shells and exoskeleton organisms
paleozoic era, cambrian period
period when sea stars and nautiloids existed, coral reefs, and singes, first land plants appeared
paleozoic era, ordovician period
the first mass extinction in this period where 80% of species in the shallow seas became extinct, the cause of the cooling of the earth and sea levels dropped due to glaciers
ordovician period (paleozoic era)
this period where large coral reefs appeared, evolution in the jawless fished that lived in brackish water, first animals on land such as scorpions and millipede-like animals, the first vascular plants (cooksonia)
silurian period, paleozoic era
period where sharks became common, first lobe-finned fish evolved, proto-amphibians vertebrates inhabited the land, first trees and forests were present, ferns and seed-producing plants such as the archaeopteris
devonian period, paleozoic era
this period where, reptiles first appeared, first land snails and insects with wings appeared, carbon was abundant, first conifers
carboniferous period, paleozoic era
period where pangaea now existed, swamps dried up, reptiles diversified, precursors to mammals evolved, anthracosaurus give rise to captorhinomorphs that gave rise to the synapsids,
permian period, paleozoic era
second and the largest mass extinction on the planet which ended 96% of all the species due to volcanic eruptions
permian period, paleozoic era
the meaning of the era is ‘middle life’ and the time of the dinosaurs
mesozoic era, phanerozoic eon
period where the dominant land animals were reptiles, first dinosaurs, marine reptiles, lizards and tortoises appeared, crocodiles were abundant and insects attained complete metamorphosis
triassic period, mesozoic era
examples of dinosaurs in the triassic period
plateosaurus, coelphysis, eoraptor
period where giant plant eating dinosaurs roamed, “age of dinosaurs”, flying reptiles and first birds appeared, conifers are the most diverse large trees, sometimes called as the “age of cycads”
jurassic period, mesozoic era
examples of dinosaurs during the jurassic period
stegosaurus, allosaurus, ceratosaurus, brachiosaurus
period where birds, ants, termites, bees, butterflies, aphids, and grasshoppers diversified, archaefructus plant diversification of the first flowering plant
cretaceous period, mesozoic era
the third mass extinction where the 80% of the species and the last of the dinosaurs were wiped out, also known as the K/T (Cretacious-Tertiary) extinction
cretacious period, mesozoic era
era that means ‘recent life’, this era are even split into smaller parts known as epoch
cenozoic era, phanerozoic eon
epoch where first rodents, armadillos, primitive primates and ancestors to modern mammals appeared, first pines, cacti and palm trees emerged
paleocene epoch, paleogene period, cenozoic era
fourth mass extinction where there is a sudden global warming due to the increase of CO2 and CH4 into the oceans and atmosphere
paleocene epoch, paleogene period, cenozoic era
epoch where the first whales, bats, primitive elephants, and hoofed animals appeared, first horse-like appeared as the size of dogs and the appearance of penguins, pelicans, ducks and gulls
eocene epoch, paleogene period, cenozoic era
fifth mass extinction where several extraterrestrial objects striked the earth
eocene epoch, paleogene period, cenozoic era
epoch where grasslands appeared, huge hornless rhinoceros appeared from Asia, horses increased in size, early forms of monkeys, pigs, dogs, cats and camels appeared
oligocene epoch, paleogene period, cenozoic era
epoch where migration is common among continents for mammals, abundance and diversity of mammals is at its highest, and the first appearance of the anthropoid apes, megalodon appeared, lesser apes or hylobatids of small apes and the expansion grasslands and kelp forests in the oceans
miocene epoch, neogene period, cenozoic era
epoch where modern horses evolved, early hominids in africa evolved into different species with it leading to the present day as modern humans
pliocene epoch, neogene period, cenozoic era
epoch where the saber tooth, mammoths and giant ground sloths, and the spread of modern humans across the world
pleistocene epoch, quaternary period, cenozoic era
